Guilt Tripping

Ever heard of a “wife for hire”? Absurd, right? Well, it was a brand-new concept to me too. As I stared at the billionaire sitting across from me, one thought rang loud and clear in my mind.“This man has lost it.“ How did I go from interviewing for a cleaner’s position to this? An offer to “marry” a billionaire? The words had barely left his lips before I scoffed, unable to help myself. “Is this some kind of joke?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him, skepticism dripping from every word. He tilted his head to the side, his expression oddly calm. His brows lifted slightly as his sharp gaze locked onto mine. “Is something wrong?” he asked, his voice steady yet tinged with what seemed like guilt—or maybe embarrassment. “Did I offend you? If I have…” “I mean, no offense, but… look at you. You’re tall, handsome, rich,” I continued, gesturing toward him as if to underline my point. “Any woman out there would swarm around you, dying for the chance to be with you. So, why me? Unless there’s more to it. Unless there’s… a motive.” … After being handed divorce papers at the hospital—mere moments after losing her baby,Amber refuses to fall apart. She is not weak. She is not pathetic. She won’t waste tears on the heavens or wait for Karma to settle the score. Instead, she vows to become Karma herself. However, fate leads her to an encounter with him, a wealthy, enigmatic billionaire with a haunting past and a son who longs for a mother. Drawn to her striking resemblance to someone from his past, he makes her an audacious offer. One that could change both of their lives forever.

She was the woman who loved him without limits. He was the man who never truly chose her until she stopped waiting. In a marriage built on guilt, not passion, Jessica must break free from a love that only ever hurt...or try to give him a second chance?

…from his responsibilities as a father, hiding out from his pregnant girlfriend, and working as a groundskeeper in a rural graveyard. He’s running from a lifetime of guilt and bad decisions, but principally he’s running from the murderous entities that have possessed the very ground at his feet. Jim has no idea what these entities are, but they’ve done unspeakable things to everyone in the graveyard and now they’re hunting him down. There is nowhere Jim can hide, nowhere he can walk and nowhere he can run that isn’t under the lethal power of the things in the ground. If he stands any chance of survival he must uncover the link between his murderous tormentors, three mysterious graves and an ancient heresy that stretches back to the beginning of time. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Two ladies with striking resemblance cross path. Julianne Crawford is tired of living as a submissive wife in her in-laws house. Her plan to escape coincided with the charity event where Quiva, a typical and cunning pickpocket attended with the aim to steal. She bumped into Julliane while she was trying to escape. Unknowingly, her phone had fallen and Quiva had picked it up as one of her ‘godsent’ gift to her. As she tried to leave the event, she met Mrs Crawford who said some derogatory words at her and called her ‘Julliane’. Quiva did not understand what was happening but she played along, thinking another jackpot had been scored, not knowing that something worse was coming for her. Quiva followed the Crawfords back to their house, assuming her position as their son’s wife, Julliane Crawford. She pretended to be Julliane to steal money and stymied the lives of the Crawfords until they learned to accept her. While she thought her dream had finally been fulfilled - a life living in wealth. An enemy from the past was rising to return, ruining her entire plan. However, as Quiva spends more time living as Julliane, she begins to develop feelings for her husband and struggles with the guilt of lying to everyone around her. Meanwhile, the real Julliane has started a new life, free from the constraints of her old one, but she can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. As the two women's paths continue to cross, secrets are revealed and loyalties are tested. Will Quiva be able to come clean and confess her deception to the Crawfords and her husband, or will she lose everything she's gained in her new life? And what will happen to Julliane, who has been living in the shadow all along?

Have you ever had everything you wanted, only to have it all stolen from you? Ella finds herself in this exact situation when she is finally ready to make a fresh start in life. Her bad luck sends her to the arms of a cold rescuer who gets her everything she wants except her freedom. But when she finally gets her freedom back, will the price be too high to pay? Ella discovers that the price of her freedom is much higher than she could have imagined. He independence is riddled with sadness and guilt as long as a strong sense of pride that she wears as a shield. will she ever put her shield down and let love find its way into her cold heart?

Ryan Grey is a self-made billionaire at the age of 26 who no longer believes in love since his past was messy when it came to relationships. He moves to a new city hoping for a new start where he establishes a branch for his ever expanding company. In Georgia, things start out good but this doesn't last long. He meets Diana, an ambitious young and attractive woman who catches his eye. She happens to get a job in his company where his identity as the CEO is kept a secret even to the staff. He slowly grows fond of her and the unexpected happens. He starts to fall in love again. Deciding to give love one last shot, he throws caution to the wind and goes all in. He falls in love deep and despite having an ex who is still after him, he decides to settle for one girl. His one true love. Everything goes on good and just when he thinks that his stars are aligning, he discovers a secret about Diana that breaks him shaking him to the core. In a story filled with love and hope for a chance at life again, darkness looms in the shadows. Deception, betrayal and guilt roam free and seek to ruin a perfect match. What will Ryan do? Will he ignore the red flags and stick to his perfect fantasy world where love prevails or will he end up crushed again. It takes a lot to hurt a man who is in love, but what happens when you break a man in love?

Torn between guilt and survival, Alessia faces an impossible choice: avenging her family’s brutal murder or fleeing from the deadly grasps of the mafia. Her life was turned upside down the night she defied her father’s orders and snuck out of the mansion with her friend, Ella, for a night of clubbing. Returning home after a heartbreaking one-night stand with Dominic, who discarded her like a whore, she found her family brutally murdered. As the sole survivor, Alessia is haunted by the horrific events of that night. The weight of hidden truths and unanswered questions becomes almost unbearable as she struggles to piece together the shattered fragments of her life. Who could have committed such a heinous act? And will she be able to forgive once she uncovers the truth? Join Alessia on a harrowing journey to uncover the secrets behind her family’s murder and discover what it truly means to be a mafia princess.

CEO's Affair is a gripping tale of love, betrayal, and survival set against the dark, high-stakes world of the mafia. Isabella "Izzy" Romano is a single mother struggling to pay for life-saving medical treatment for her young daughter. Desperate for work, she takes a job as a waitress at a luxury restaurant, but her world is shattered when a dangerous mob threatens her. The last person she ever expects to save her is Dante Vieri, her former boyfriend turned ruthless mafia boss. Once a man who promised to protect her, Dante now demands that Izzy become his mistress in exchange for his protection. Trapped by her circumstances and the dangerous world Dante now rules, Izzy reluctantly agrees. As she is pulled deeper into his shadowy empire, old feelings of resentment and lingering passion resurface, forcing her to confront the man he has become and the man she once knew. The stakes escalate when Izzy’s long-held secret—Dante’s daughter—threatens to unravel everything. As the mafia world closes in, Izzy faces a devastating choice: reveal the truth about their child or risk losing everything to the empire that Dante has built. Torn between protecting her family and surviving in Dante's world, Izzy must navigate the blurred lines between love and loyalty, while Dante grapples with his own feelings of guilt and unresolved desire. In CEO's Affair, both Izzy and Dante are forced to confront their pasts, their deepest fears, and their complicated emotions for each other. Can they rebuild the trust and love they once shared, or will the deadly forces of the mafia tear them apart for good?

When Lynette returns home after years at a secluded temple, she expects to reunite with her best friend, Rowan. Instead, she finds someone who looks like him but feels entirely different—a stranger with Rowan’s face, an aura of danger, and an inexplicable pull that leaves her breathless. Determined to uncover the truth behind Kassian’s enigmatic walls, Lynette vows to make him hers—even if it means facing the shadows of his past and the secrets he refuses to reveal. Kassian, hiding under his twin’s identity, is unprepared for the storm Lynette brings into his life. Discovering she is his fated mate—a bond so rare it’s practically myth—thrusts him into a whirlwind of guilt, fear and longing. Torn between protecting the memory of his brother and the magnetic connection he feels with Lynette, Kassian fights to keep his resurging powers and deadly secrets at bay before they spiral out of control. As ancient forces awaken, Lynette finds herself pulled into a hidden world of shifters, fae, and vampires, unraveling truths about her own past that challenge everything she thought she knew. With darkness rising and their bond tested by betrayal and danger, Lynette and Kassian must decide if love and determination can overcome fate’s cruel hand—or if their secrets will tear them apart forever.

"She thought she had escaped the past, but the past had other plans." Victoria Lancaster had it all—love, luxury, and a future with the man she adored, billionaire Elias Westbrook. But one devastating accusation shattered everything. Accused of embezzling millions from Elias’s company, she was torn apart by the press and forced to sign divorce papers, leaving behind a life of privilege. The heartbreak was unbearable, and she vowed to never return to the world that betrayed her. Years later, Victoria is finally rebuilding her life, running a small business, and finding solace in simplicity. But when a letter arrives with shocking news—that she is pregnant with Elias’s child—everything she thought she had left behind comes rushing back. The revelation forces her to face a past she thought she had buried forever. Elias, now a cold and reclusive billionaire, is torn between anger and guilt when he learns of Victoria’s pregnancy. He has spent years seeking the truth, uncovering a deep betrayal by someone he never expected. The shocking truth: it was his own sister, Selene, who framed Victoria to seize control of the Westbrook empire. Now, Elias is determined to make things right. But after years of hurt and deception, can he win back Victoria’s trust and rebuild their shattered love? The battle for the Westbrook fortune intensifies, and Victoria must decide: forgive Elias or protect her child from the greed and betrayal that tore their family apart. Get ready for a whirlwind romance filled with shocking twists, heartbreaking choices, and a love that refuses to die. Will Victoria and Elias reclaim what they lost, or will their past destroy them forever? Read "The Ex-Wife's Secret" to uncover what happens next!